Sahm Financial has opened its UAE platform to retail investors, giving eligible clients direct access to Saudi and U.S. equities through a single app.
The launch is a meaningful step for UAE investors who want to own Tadawul-listed securities directly rather than accessing Saudi exposure only through regional or overseas funds.
Sahm Financial Limited received its Dubai Financial Services Authority licence on April 8, 2026. The licence permits the DIFC-based firm to serve retail clients, deal in investments as agent and hold or control client assets. Sahm formally launched services for UAE investors in late September, with access to Tadawul, NYSE and Nasdaq.
The launch follows Saudi Arabia’s decision earlier this year to broaden direct market access for GCC residents, which Nukoud covered in Saudi Arabia Opens Tadawul to UAE & GCC Investors. Sahm turns that regulatory opening into a retail brokerage product that gives UAE investors direct access to individual Saudi companies.
What Does Direct Saudi Access Cost?
Sahm’s published Saudi pricing shows a standard commission of 0.105% of transaction value, although the platform currently advertises a limited-time 0% commission offer. Separate market charges total another 0.05%, covering CMA, exchange, clearing, settlement and safekeeping fees. Sahm says foreign investors are exempt from Saudi VAT on the applicable fees.
For U.S. stocks and ETFs priced above $5, Sahm charges $0.015 per share, subject to a $1.99 minimum, plus clearing and regulatory fees. Securities priced at $5 or below carry a $0.49 minimum.
The platform also supports currency conversion between Saudi and U.S. trading accounts, allowing investors to move between the two markets from the same brokerage relationship.
Direct Shares or a Saudi ETF?
For UAE investors seeking Saudi exposure, Sahm adds a direct-equity route alongside existing ETF options.
BlackRock’s U.S.-domiciled KSA ETF gives investors diversified exposure to the Saudi market through a single security, while direct Tadawul access allows investors to choose individual companies and control sector exposure themselves.
The two approaches solve different problems. An ETF offers diversification and simplicity, while direct ownership gives investors more control over company selection, position sizing and income exposure.
Market Access Is Getting Easier
The broader significance is that Saudi market access is becoming more practical for investors elsewhere in the GCC.
Until recently, UAE retail investors often relied on local funds, international ETFs or separate brokerage relationships to gain exposure to Saudi equities. A DFSA-regulated platform offering Saudi and U.S. markets in the same app reduces some of that friction.
The wrapper still matters. Direct Saudi equities, U.S.-listed ETFs and locally listed GCC funds carry different fee, tax and diversification profiles. Nukoud has examined those structural differences in its guide to ETF domicile and tax considerations for GCC investors.
For investors who specifically want Saudi stocks, Sahm removes a meaningful access barrier. The larger development is that direct cross-border investing within the GCC is becoming easier to execute through regulated retail platforms, bringing Saudi equities closer to the same account investors already use for international markets.
